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Microsoft's first Seinfeld ad fails to impress

If it's true that there's no such thing as bad publicity, Microsoft's first Seinfeld ad, part of a $300mn effort to shore up its image, is off to a great start.

The ad certainly seems like a "bizarre" way to start rebuilding the Windows brand but then again, its creator, Crispin Porter + Bogusky, is known for producing interesting ads.

Thus far, the response to the encounter between Jerry Seinfeld and Bill Gates hasn't been incredibly positive.

But putting aside the criticism, some of which comes from individuals who dislike anything Microsoft produces anyway, is there a positive takeaway?

I think there just might be - Microsoft knows it has a problem.

Despite the fact that it still controls around 90% of the operating system market and according to Red Herring, saw 28% of the $60.4bn in revenue it generated last year come from sales of Vista, Microsoft isn't ignoring consumer sentiment.

It sees that the lukewarm reception Vista has received is problematic and knows that it can't risk doing nothing, especially in the face of compelling marketing assaults from Apple.

While it will be interesting to see how Crispin Porter + Bogusky evolve Microsoft's message over the course of the campaign, marketing is only one component of improving customer perception.

Marketing without real change is not likely to benefit Microsoft and to that end, it's interesting to note the more substantive actions Microsoft is taking.

"Microsoft's new Windows advertising campaign is one piece in a major overhaul of how the company makes, markets and sells its most important product to consumers..."

He notes that Microsoft's senior vice president of the Windows business group, Bill Veghte, claims that the firm has spent nearly two years "researching and rebuilding all aspects of its consumer Windows business."

Part of this rebuilding process includes working to improve Windows itself and forming closer relationships with PC manufacturers to ensure that Windows functions solidly across today's diverse selection of desktops and laptops.

Perhaps most interesting is the fact that Microsoft is adopting the "store-within-a-store" concept. "Microsoft Gurus" will be present at Circuit City and Best Buy to provide customers with more detailed information about Microsoft products and to answer customer questions.

As Romano notes, this is not dissimilar from the "Geniuses" Apple places at retail locations for the same purpose.

Will all of Microsoft's ongoing efforts be enough?

It's difficult to state at this point and it's fair to point out that Microsoft has an uphill battle.

Evolving an operating system used by 90% of the market isn't easy. Even Google is learning just how difficult it is to build a consumer software product that is stable, secure and satisfying.

Microsoft's Veghte observes what might just be Microsoft's biggest challenge:

"Windows has become so ubiquitous that sometimes some of the magic and some of the opportunity that Windows affords fades into the background a bit."

For all of Windows' faults, it's hard to disagree. On the whole, Windows works pretty darn well and I've never personally contemplated purchasing a Mac or running a Linux-based operating system like Ubuntu for the simple fact that the software I use on a daily basis requires Windows.

Yet I don't consciously appreciate Windows on a daily basis.

From this perspective, Microsoft's challenge becomes clear - it needs to make sure Windows works well enough to remain as ubiquitous as possible but at the same time needs to ensure that we don't forget that the same level of ubiquity is unavailable through its competitors.

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Comments (3)

Manuel: Windows is history with a 90% marketshare? Quite a bold claim.

over 9 years ago

Cheyenne

Really?! Is nobody getting it? The whole blogospehere is talking about this ad, yes in a expected (negative) manner but you can bet your *ss that's strategy.

The situation is that Microsoft just can't do anything good anymore these days and everybody is just aping each others opinion (saw the Mojave experiment?) which is just not fair, even considering the failures.

So in a situation where MS is already on the floor and everyone is kicking them. A expensive ad in wich they claim how great Vista is and that we should buy it, would be immediately axed by the biased blogosphere and that would be the end of it.
So no they didnt come out with something the public could (again) further bash on, they came out with something no one seems to actually get in the first place.

So now there is a whole blogosphere out there with sharpened pencils waiting to axe whatever comes out of the gates.. and guess what now they have the difficult job to axe something they don't get.
You see that al these anonymous loudmouths are trying to make sense of it and are desperately seeking an excuse, to link the ad to Vista, wich they actually cant... , try to criticize the agency, wich they actually cant.

The only thing we can do is talk about it... and at the same time come to a sad realization that there is simply nothing to pick on, ending up being confronted with our own negative mindset that bothers us in the first place, not Microsoft.

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